I will
never forget the story of the starfish.
Two people are walking along the beach.
As they are walking, they encounter a large number of starfish that have
washed upon the shore. One of them bends
down, picks up a starfish, and tosses it back into the ocean. The other person asks, “What good did that
do? Look at all of them. That didn’t make a difference.” The first person replies, “It made a
difference to that one.”

What
about you? Would you pick up a
starfish? Maybe your starfish is not a
starfish at all, but maybe God is calling you to telephone a friend who needs a
word of encouragement or purchase a bag of groceries for the family next door. Perhaps God has laid it on your heart to
provide a meal for the homeless person you see on the corner each morning you
drive to work, or to smile at someone who looks like they are having a bad
day. I’m sure many of us would jump at
the chance to go on a mission trip to the other side of the world, or to
provide clothes, household items, and food for a family whose house burned down. While these things are certainly worthwhile,
we need to make sure we do not lose sight of the daily blessing we can be to
others.

When
Jesus returns to this earth, the Bible says that He will say to those blessed
by His Father, “‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, I needed
clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison
and you came to visit me’” (Matthew 25:35-36 NIV). The righteous will ask, “‘Lord, when did we
see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and
invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When
did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’” (Matthew
25:37-39 NIV). Jesus will reply, “‘Truly
I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters
of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:40 NIV).

When we help someone in need, we may
not even know their name. But God knows
exactly who they are. He knows whether
or not we will help them. And if we do
help them, we are helping Jesus. For
whatever we do for someone in need, we are doing for Him. So the next time you make a phone call to
check on someone, visit the local nursing home, pay for someone’s meal, or
simply share a smile to brighten someone’s day, remember, you are doing it for
Jesus. It may seem insignificant to you,
but it is significant to God. Even the
smallest action, like tossing a starfish back into the water, can make a huge
difference in someone’s life. In the case of the starfish, it not
only changed its life, but saved it.

As I sit here looking at photographs from my summer
vacation, I am reminded of picturesque places we explored, amazing sights we
saw, and delightful destinations that I hope to see again.Above all, I am overwhelmed with a sense of
gratitude, both to my dad and to my Heavenly Father, for the amazing adventure
that I was blessed to enjoy.While I
wish you could have experienced our entire journey firsthand, I pray you enjoy
traveling vicariously through my story.So, pack your bags, grab your passport, and join me as we travel across Europe.It’s going to be one grand adventure!

One experience that was extraordinary special was our
visit to Ephesus in Turkey.As I stepped
off of the bus, the hairs on the back of my neck curled with excitement as I
thought about the fact that the Apostle John and Mary had walked on those
streets and that the Apostle Paul preached in the theater there.At the same time, it saddened me to know that
they ran him out because they did not believe that there was one true God,
shouting, great is the god of Artemis.Standing in the theater, my dad and I both proudly proclaimed, “Great is
the God of the Apostle Paul!”This day
is one that I will always remember, as it was not only exciting to see a new
country, but it had a spiritual meaning to my dad and me as well.

Of all of the places we were blessed to explore, one of
my favorites was Santorini, Greece.The
brilliant blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea crashing against the bottoms of
towering cliffs create a sight to behold.Following a picturesque ride on a tender and then a cable car, we were
soon at the top of the cliff where we picked up our rental car for the day.We drove across the island to Perissa Beach,
a beach that has volcanic black sand.The water was so refreshing and the three and a half hours spent here
were paradise.We stopped at a local
bakery on the way back to town and shared some baklava and apple spice
cake.Between the time spent swimming in
the crystal clear water and the satisfaction for my sweet tooth, I felt as if I
was on cloud nine.

Perhaps my most cherished stop of all was that of
Zermatt, Switzerland.Here, we stayed in
a chalet hotel with a balcony overlooking the Matterhorn.I was in awe of the beauty that was ours to
behold.We had picnics on the balcony
and I sat there, glued to the mountain vista as a child might be glued to a
television set airing a marathon of their favorite program.The goats being herded through the streets in
the mornings and evenings just added to the atmosphere.A cable car ride, fondue, and apple strudel
rounded out our Swiss experience.But
still, everything else paled in comparison to the beauty of the magnificent
Matterhorn.

We encountered so many incredible sights, from the
ancient ruins of Olympia where the Olympic torch is lit to the city of Pompeii
where structures still stand, even after enduring a massive volcanic
eruption.We stood on the Acropolis in
Athens, rode a gondola in Venice, and saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa.We walked the wall in Dubrovnik, enjoyed the
sights in Paris, and even set foot on the continent of Africa with a visit to
Tunisia.While it was a wonderful
opportunity to see archeological sites like the Acropolis or Colosseum, my dad
and I agreed that we do not need to see them again.But when it comes to places like Perissa
Beach or the Matterhorn, we could keep returning, time after time, and they
would never grow old.The things that
God has created for us to enjoy have a timeless beauty.They capture our attention, not for a moment,
but for a lifetime.And even greater
than our summer adventure, all those who have a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ will be going on a grand adventure one day that makes all
vacations here on earth pale in comparison.One day, our grand adventure will not start on a bus, a train, or a
plane.Instead, the true Grand Adventure
will begin when a trumpet sounds.Won’t
you join me on the ultimate Grand Adventure?

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Meet the Writer

First and foremost, I am a Christian. I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of the world. I live in McAlpin, Florida. I am a Technology teacher at Suwannee Middle School. I also sing, play the piano and drums, and write songs. I hope to one day add published author to that list, too, if God opens the door. Traveling is a huge part of my life, too. There's nothing like being in a plane, train, cruise ship, or automobile and visiting a new city or landmark. I love what I do, but traveling, writing, and music are my number one passions! Visit my website at http://www.jennifercampbell.net to find out more about me! You can also visit www.cwrmusic.org for free MP3 downloads of my original songs. Also, please visit my food and travel website, Jennifer's Journeys (http://www.jennifersjourneys.net), that will take you on an unforgettable adventure. It's a mind-boggling blog that will tantalize your taste buds and have you wanting to call your travel agent! Thank you for visiting and may God bless you always!